Other Teacher Blogs

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Although it is already 6 days into September here is Currently {LOVE Farley & so glad I got to meet her this summer!}Loving~I am so thrilled to be learning so many things this year!! I have been learning from so many great sources as well~

I LOVE Twitter for connecting & learning...you can find me at @thankfulndw...I am learning more & more about Google, Google Classroom, & everything Google...here is my very first Google Slides presentation that I used this week for our Back to School Night~my daughter did all of the transitions & then taught me how to do it...

...Periscope has so many great tips & things that educators are sharing about...if you haven't found SimpleK12.com yet, go check it out!...they offer FREE webinars & I have learned so much from those webinars!...Instagram, yes Instagram>>that is where I found the GoNoodle poster that inspired me to make these posters for my room!...

...I am learning from podcasts...& always find great ideas on Pinterest....in addition to the things in the collage, I am learning how to use our new interactive projector, more about Symbaloo {working on becoming a Certified Symbaloo Educator}, want to learn about Plickers {I have printed the cards out & have the app}

Thinking~how very blessed I am by the people in my community...our area frequently gets a bad rap...I live in the High Desert in Southern California...but the people here are wonderful!!

5 years ago a local business www.victorvillemotors.com started a program to encourage attendance at school...they gave away a car to a high school student who had perfect attendance...every year they have increased the program...Year 1~1 car to a high school student with perfect attendance; Year 2~2 cars to 2 high school students with perfect attendance;Year 3~same as before plus they paid tax & license for the students & added a car for a teacher!; Year 4~added a 2nd teacher car; Year 5~now they have added It's a Gas to Support Class & are giving a car to a classified employee!! WOW!!! They have many other businesses that help support the program too...they give LOTS of other prizes away too!!! How totally AWESOME to have a community so vested in our schools & making a REAL difference in the lives of our young people!!! Just look at the stats from the different years of their program!!!!I think the other things on Currently speak for themselves, so off to link up!!

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Whew! Life has been busy & I finally feel like I can sit down & share...Boy~Oh~Boy, do I have a LOT to share!! I'm guessing this post will be linked up with at least 6 linkies!!!

I think this is a great way for me to start this blog post~my goals for this school year! I made this over a month ago~August 1st & I have been constantly reminding myself of these goals.

I look back over the time since I last blogged & I realize I have so very much to be thankful for!

I was able to get into my classroom July 28~yes, July back at it! {school began with students on August 13}!!! This is what my classroom looked like then...

There was SO MUCH work to be done!! But so thankful for a new start!

In keeping with those goals, as I worked getting the krud off of file folder buckets I use & organizing all of the print shop orders that came in {our district has a print shop & we can send stuff in to be run in the spring for the next year} I watched/listened to inspiring periscopes & podcasts! Ron Clark, Angela Watson, Coach B {Chris Biffle creator of Whole Brain Teaching} are all helping me with my goals of keeping positive & learning!!

July ended with walking in the mornings~trying to do that every morning...beautiful desert sunrises...& visiting with family...my granddaughter & I were drawing on our placemats...what did I draw? apples & apple baskets of course!...my granddaughter drew rainbows, apples, & apple bags!

The first week of August we started in with PD~Our school has just become a Leader in Me School & we had 2 days for our WHOLE staff of Leader in Me Training {we had 2 days on The 7 Habits in June, after school got out} I am so excited about this & learning right along with my students now...

Okay, now to start linking up!!

Yes, I know it is Saturday, not Monday...Late to the party...'It's Cool' {my class would respond, "It's Cool"...Whole Brain Teaching thing!}....too busy this week to post, so here are ALL 5 days today!!!

Fun Fact #1

My 12 year old daughter was just told this week she will be going on point!!...for those who are not familiar with ballet, it means she will now be learning how to dance on the shoes that you go up on your toes in!! So, Monday we will be going about an hour away to buy the shoes {not cheap!} & start a new class at the dance studio...now Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday she will have dance from 5-7!

AND

Fun Facts #2 & #3

These 2 are related so I figured I would put them both here...I am in my 28th year teaching 3rd grade, yep all 28 at 3rd grade!...& I am now the staff member who has been at my site the longest!! For YEARS I was referred to as 'The Baby'...well, time flies & now I have been there longer than any other staff member!...it NEVER gets old or boring, every year & every group of kids is unique! No two years have been the same!

Fun Fact #4

I can juggle~okay, random, but I was trying to think of something that not everyone can do and that I have not shared on the blog before...I taught myself right out of high school using one of the Klutz books.

Fun Fact #5

I learned to drive stick on large trucks...like on dump trucks & other trucks you see used by your city to maintain the city property...after my freshman year of college, I went home & had a job pulling weeds, trimming trees, sweeping sidewalks, etc...my crew ganged up on me and started teaching me to drive stick on these large trucks!!...I'm sure it was quite a sight to see this big city truck bunny hopping across the intersection!!!!

HaHa!!! My go to meals for the week are made ahead by....Lil Ceasers, Del Taco, {my town is where Del began & is like no other Del Taco anywhere...awesome food that our whole community loves!} Subway, and well, you get the idea...okay, some of them don't make it AHEAD...but if you saw my daughter's dance schedule above, plus other family commitments throughout the week, we are rarely home {we live about 20 miles outside of town} for dinner!!

These pictures were taken yesterday...

This is along one side of my room...nonfiction books are in the red baskets...the corner is my leveled library...lots of goodies!

I wish there wasn't so much glare on my alphabet {available in my store} & the items on the front board...the large laptop cart is a blessing & a curse...blessed when we are able to use the technology in our room, but no matter where it is, it is in the way!

The back part of my room {with my daughter :-D }...on the stereo are my desk trash baskets...Leader in Me characters on the upper back wall...

My tip is to use Dropbox, Sqworl, Symbaloo to organize your digital world! {I am working right now to become a Symbaloo Certified Educator!}

I love both reading & math, but I think I will go with math because I love to incorporate learning games!!! I love using dice & so do the students!

You can click on each of the day pictures above to go to each day's linky!